NA018
Possession Island


IBA Justification

The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 1998 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:
Species Red List Season (year/s of estimate) Size IBA criteria
African Penguin Spheniscus demersus CR resident (-) 300–900 pairs A1
Cape Gannet Morus capensis EN resident (-) 800–3,000 pairs A1, A4ii
Cape Gannet Morus capensis EN non-breeding (-) 2,000–10,000 birds A1, A4ii
Crowned Cormorant Microcarbo coronatus LC resident (-) 20–280 pairs A1, A4i
Crowned Cormorant Microcarbo coronatus LC non-breeding (-) 50–500 birds A1, A4i
Cape Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis EN resident (-) 2,000–4,000 pairs A1, A4i
Cape Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis EN non-breeding (-) 5,704 birds A1, A4i
Bank Cormorant Phalacrocorax neglectus EN breeding (-) 10 pairs A1
African Oystercatcher Haematopus moquini LC resident (-) 66 pairs A1, A4i
African Oystercatcher Haematopus moquini LC non-breeding (-) 200–300 birds A1, A4i
Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus LC non-breeding (-) 2,864 birds A4i
A4iii Species group - seabirds n/a non-breeding (-) 10,000-19,999 birds A4iii
A4iii Species group - seabirds n/a breeding (-) 10,000-19,999 birds A4iii

IBA Protection

Year Protected Area Designation (management category) % coverage of IBA
2009 Namibian Islands Marine Protected Area Marine Protected Area (VI) 100
2009 Namibia Islands Marine Protected Area (-) 100

Land use

Land use % of IBA
nature conservation and research -


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Possession Island (Namibia). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/possession-island-iba-namibia on 23/12/2024.